


Princess Monologue

by moviefan_92



Category: Mononoke-hime | Princess Mononoke
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Developing Friendships, Drama, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Gods, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Monologue, Love, Love at First Sight, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Monologue, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Slow Romance, Spirit Animals, Spirits, Studio Ghibli, Teen Romance, True Love, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-09-18 13:30:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16995912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moviefan_92/pseuds/moviefan_92
Summary: A novel version of the movie's scenes featuring San, focusing on her inner dialogue, thoughts, and feelings. See how things play out from her point of view, from her first meeting with Ashitaka to the end of the warAdventure/Romance/Drama/Supernatural/Angst/Friendship/Hurt & Comfort. Pairings: San and Ashitaka. Rated for a few bad words and violence.STORY COMPLETE





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N: Ok, this is not something I do, like, ever. However, if you've read my other stories, you'll find that I like to get into my characters' heads and portray what they're thinking and feeling, especially when I recap events. I find this happens most and strongest whenever I watch Princess Mononoke, particularly with San. I always find myself analyzing her and what she may be thinking and feeling throughout the movie. So I finally caved and write this. As you may have guessed, and as the story's description states, it's the events of the film through San's eyes. I tried to keep things as canon and as in accordance with the movie as possible, so this isn't me twisting things the way I would have liked things to have played out, but how I genuinely believe San thought and felt throughout the movie. I decided to break it into parts so it wasn't one long page. Also, I know the title may not be completely accurate, but it was too good not to use. Anyway, enjoy.)
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Originally posted on 10/03/18 at: _<https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13082945/1/Princess-Monologue>_**

 

 

**" PRINCESS MONOLOGUE"**

The opportunity had to be taken. It wasn't too often that the Eboshi woman left the safety of Irontown. Not out of fear, no matter how much San wished that were the case, but because she was needed there to run the town.

Things had changed since she had come along. The humans had been a problem ever since they started tearing down the forest so they could harvest the iron, but the boar god, Nago, had been able to keep them at bay. That is, until the Eboshi woman came along with her guns and riflemen. She'd driven Nago away, along with his herd, and the mighty guardian of the forest had never been seen since.

The humans had become bolder and more ruthless after that, tearing down the trees in abundance, driving away the animals and the gods of the forest so they could fuel their own greed. And it was all that damn woman's fault. There was even talk that she intended to kill the Forest Spirit himself, as blasphemous as that sounded.

San would not let that happen. They would kill the Eboshi woman, and the humans would either flee or fall to them after that. San didn't care which, just as long as they got out of the forest. That was why she was riding on the back of one of her brothers, heading for the group of humans below as they made their way across the mountain with their supplies. Eboshi had accompanied them to make sure her people made it back home safely with their supplies. If there was one good thing San could admit about the woman, it was that she was caring and loyal to her people.

That didn't change anything though, she was still evil and needed to die. She'd caused so much pain to the forest and its inhabitants, and she planned to do more. What more, she didn't even care, not as long as she profited. She needed to be stopped, and that was why San and her clan had planned this attack.

Gunfire went off, the ground exploding around them as the humans turned their weapons on San and her brothers. She directed them down the mountainside, maneuvering them around the humans' attacks. They got as close as they dared before pulling back. But the plan had worked. The humans' full attention was on her and her brothers. That had been the intent. They were distracted, allowing her mother to go in for the real attack.

Her mother, Moro, the wolf god, was far more terrifying and magnificent than her brothers. Over three times their size, large enough to bite a person in two, she raced towards the humans with the Eboshi woman in her sights. She pounced into the group, knocking several humans and oxen off the side of the cliff as she fought her way through towards Eboshi.

She wasn't fast enough. Eboshi had time to turn her gun on Moro and fire off a shot. San gasped in horror as she watched a bullet fly through the air and strike her mother's chest. This was followed up by flames erupting from another weapon, engulfing her mother, and Moro went tumbling over the side of the cliff.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

They found her by the side of a stream. Moro rested by the running water, a dead ox beside her. It was of great relief to San to see her mother alright. Logically, she had known that her mother would be fine. Merely being burned and falling from a mountain wouldn't be nearly enough to kill a god, but she could still be injured, and she could still feel pain.

San hopped off her brother's back and approached the much larger wolf. Moro rose to greet them, and San froze as she saw the wound on her mother's chest from the Eboshi woman's gun. Nago had obtained a similar wound during his battle before fleeing. Those humans and their weapons, they were monsters.

She rushed to her mother and placed her mouth to the wound. Sucking out the contaminated blood, she spat it out, cleaning the wound. Even though her mother was a god, she was not immune to infection. Wounds caused by human bullets were unpredictable, and San would do what she could to treat it.

A warning growl escaped her mother, and San froze. Someone was here. A human. She looked over her shoulder, and spotted them in the distance. They were watching from behind a fallen tree. Whoever they were, they were alone, but even a single human could do considerable damage if they had a gun.

Turning to them, San spat out another mouthful of blood and wiped her mouth, glaring at the intruder. If they tried to harm her mother or brothers in any way, San would kill them without hesitation. But to her surprise, the human came out of their hiding place. They were wearing a strange costume, but they immediately unmasked themself.

It was a boy, she saw, about her age. He looked appeasing, for a human, but more importantly, he showed no fear or disgust towards her or her wolf family. Nor were there any signs of hostility. How strange. She had come to expect nothing but hate, fear, and a desire to kill from the humans she had come in contact with in the past. For some reason, this one displayed none of these things.

"My name is Ashitaka!" the boy declared. "I have traveled far from lands to the east! Are you ancient gods, and have I come at last to the realm of the Spirit of the Forest?"

San felt herself relax a bit. So he was a traveler. Perhaps he was unfamiliar with the war going on between the humans and the gods of the forest. That would explain the lack of hostility. He was an outsider, and was unaware of what was happening around these parts.

Or was he? Based on what he said, it seemed he was searching for the Forest Spirit. But for what purpose? She didn't know, nor did she care. The Forest Spirit was the mightiest and most sacred of gods in the forest. A lowly human had no purpose to be within a thousand meters of the Forest Spirit.

Still, there was no need for unnecessary bloodshed. As long as this human was no threat, there was no reason to kill him. But that most certainly did not make him welcome here either. No human had the right to be in this forest. She alone was the exception, having been adopted by Moro after her human parents abandoned her to the wolf god. San didn't even consider herself to be human, no matter what she really was.

Moro got up and began making her way into the forest. San climbed up onto one of her brothers while the other grabbed the dead ox. She gave one last look at the boy in the distance. "Go away!"

With that, she and her family made their way back into the forest.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

San and her brothers looked down at Irontown. Somewhere down there was the Eboshi woman. What they were planning was dangerous and reckless, but it didn't matter, it had to be done.

Her mother's injury was worse than she had thought. Though small, the bullet inside her was causing a terrible infection that was spreading throughout the wolf god. San didn't know how to stop it, and her mother refused to ask the Forest Spirit to heal the wound. She couldn't fathom why, especially since it would mean her eventual death.

They were out of time. With her mother dying, they couldn't afford to wait any longer. It was time to take drastic measures. This time, they would bring the battle to the humans inside their own home. No, not they,  _she_  would. She alone would enter Irontown, find the Eboshi woman, and kill her.

It would be incredibly risky, and incredibly dangerous. San knew she might not make it out alive. No, in truth, she didn't expect to. But as long as she was able to kill the Eboshi woman and save the forest, she didn't care. Before her mother died, she would do this one last thing for her.

It had taken some time to convince her brothers that this was the right course of action. Even though she was their adoptive sister, and a human at that, they still loved her like one of their own. She loved them just as much. It was for them that she was doing this, them, her mother, and all the creatures of the forest.

One of her brothers brushed against her, and she looked down at him affectionately, scratching his head. These could be there last few moments together, but if she was successful, then it would be worth it. She just hoped their mother wouldn't be too angry with her brothers for going along with this crazy plan.

Together, they headed for Irontown. There would be no sneaking up on the human settlement; her brothers' white fur stood out too much, and with the number of lookouts the humans had, there was no way they wouldn't be spotted. But maybe the unexpected attack would be enough to allow her to get into the town deep enough to find and kill locate Eboshi.

The alarm was sounded as they raced towards the town. San pulled down her battle mask as they approached. It didn't obstruct her vision too much, and it made her feel less like a human whenever she wore it. It also served as a good intimidating device in battle.

They were coming up to the town now. Logs with the ends sharped into points poked out from all areas, making it all but impossible to climb. But climbing wasn't exactly the plan. The brother she was riding on leapt up, slamming into one of the sharpened logs. San was launched from his back and sent flying into the air, going higher than the logs. Using her spear, she stabbed it into the wall, and was able to climb up the rest of the way.

There was a guard waiting for her at the top. She dealt with him quickly, knocking him down from his position, and jumped onto the nearest rooftop. The humans were scrabbling about, grabbing their weapons. They fired at her, but she made sure not to keep still long enough for them to aim properly.

They got close though, and splinters of wood went flying all around her as their guns went off. She tumbled down to the ground, ending up in a crowd of humans. They came at her, and she went on the attack. Her blade met with another one, deflecting her own. She didn't bother to take in who it was; if it wasn't the Eboshi woman, she didn't care.

"Stop!" the person told her. "Wait! I don't want to fight you! I'm a friend!"

A friend? As if she would believe that. All humans were her enemy, especially those in this town. But then she took a second look at him, and realized it was the same boy she had seen in the forest earlier. He was out of disguise now, which was why she hadn't recognized him right away.

What was he doing here? No, it didn't matter; she had a job to do. She slashed at him in warning before taking off, climbing back onto the roof. That was when she spotted her. The Eboshi woman was in the center of the town, surrounded by countless armed humans. San quickly ducked for cover and began to assess the situation. Her target was right there. She would need to plan this carefully.

"Can you hear me, Princess of Beasts?" Eboshi called out to her. "If it's me you want, here I am. If you seek revenge for all the animals we've killed, well there are two women down here whom I'd like you to meet. They want revenge as well, for husbands killed by your wolves."

"Come on out, you little witch!" one of the woman beside Eboshi shouted furiously. "My husband's dead because of you!"

That was not San's concern. After all, she wasn't the one who started this war, nor were any of the residents of the forest. It was the humans and their greed. They began invading the forest, cutting down trees, and chasing off the residents, if not flat out killing them. Of course the gods would retaliate. Anyone would if someone invaded their home and began destroying it and killing off your friends and family.

In fact, the humans of Irontown were facing a similar dilemma from a bunch of samurai who owed their loyalty to someone called Lord Asano. San didn't have a clue as to who he was, but she was somewhat grateful to them. He was giving the residents of Irontown a taste of their own medicine. How could they continue doing the same thing to the forest that someone else was doing to them?

But that was neither here nor there. She had a job to do. And Eboshi knew it as well. She was even calling her out, daring her to try for her life. Well, that suited San just fine; she would meet that challenge head on.

Coming out of her hiding place, she stared down at Eboshi and the rest of the humans, letting them see her, letting them know that she was not afraid. This was it, the moment she had been waiting for. She would charge down there and kill that evil woman.

"No, wait!" a desperate voice cried, drawing San's attention. It was that boy again. He was up here on the roof as well. "Princess of the wolf gods, don't go down there! Go back to the forest!"

Go back? No, that wasn't an option. Even if she wanted to, it might be too late to go back. She was too deep in. She could only charge forward. But as long as she could kill Eboshi, she would be fine with whatever happened.

"Listen to me, please!" the boy continued to shout to her. "Don't throw your life away!"

She ignored him. There was no going back, especially now that she'd come so far. Raising her dagger, she charged forward running down the rooftop. She would pounce from here, covering as much distance as she could, then charge straight through the crowd until she reached the Eboshi woman. Then she would plunge this dagger into her black heart. After that, it would be up to her brothers and the other gods to deal with the rest of the human.

_BANG!_  The ground exploded at her feet. One of the humans had fired at her. It had been close, too close, and she ended up tumbling down the roof the rest of the way. She rolled off the side, landing very much like a cat, slightly dazed.

Getting to her feet, she raised her dagger, and something hit her head. Her mask exploded as a bullet struck it. Her mask was shattered to pieces, but it also saved her life, protecting her from the bullet. However, the impact still knocked her off her feet, and caused everything to go black.

She wasn't sure how long she was out for, but it must not have been long, for she was still alive when she woke up. Had too much time gone by, the humans would have killed her or captured her.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw the face of a human leaning over her. She reacted on reflex, slashing at him with her dagger as she jumped to her feet. The blade cut across his cheek beneath his left eye, drawing blood. She briefly noted that it was the boy again, but she immediately put him out of mind as she saw the Eboshi woman in the distance behind him.

This was it, the moment of truth, and she charged forward to meet her enemy. The woman's bodyguard attempted to block her path, swiping at her with his blade. She jumped straight up to avoid it and came down directly onto his head. She gave him a nice kick in the face for good measure before leaping over the group of humans behind him.

Eboshi was directly in front of her, unguarded. San let out a battle cry as she charged forward, dagger raised. The Eboshi woman calmly waited for her, acting as if she didn't even view San as a threat. That would be the last mistake she ever made.

San lunged forward, but at the last moment, Eboshi tossed aside her robe and raised a blade of her own, catching San's. A smaller dagger suddenly appeared in her other hand, and she swiped at San. It cut through her wolf-skin clothing, sending white fur flying. San paid it no mind as she went on the attack again. Eboshi met her in combat, and the two engaged in a vicious fight.

The humans circled around them, shouting and jeering. They gave cries of encouragement to Eboshi while spouting insults at San. Those closest to her pointed their weapons at her, and San swiped at them with her dagger. They did not attack, however, and let her and the Eboshi woman resume their fight. At the very least it seemed that the woman had enough honor to face her one-on-one.

San let everything else fade out around her as she focused entirely on trying to kill Eboshi. The woman fought back, almost mockingly. Fine, let the woman be overconfident, it would make it that much easier to kill her. She was certain the other humans would kill her after that, but she was ready for it.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm, stopping her from lashing out at Eboshi. Likewise, they also blocked Eboshi own blade, stopping her from striking San. It was that boy. Again. Why was he constantly interfering? And now he was coming between her fight with the Eboshi woman. No, she had come so close, she couldn't fail now.

She tried to break free of the boy's grip, but he was incredibly strong, far stronger than any human should be. She struggled, but he kept a firm grasp of her. Not even Eboshi seemed able to overpower him, and she seemed just as irritated as San.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" Eboshi snapped at him.

"Stay your hand," the boy told her in an strangely calm voice. "The girl's life is now mine."

Like hell it was! What did that even mean? Had he saved her back there when she had been knocked unconscious? Even if that were the case, her life was her own, even if he had saved it. She gave herself over to the gods of the forest entirely the day she learned how her human parents had thrown her away.

Lunging forward, she bit the arm that held her, but even then the boy did not let go. Even if she was biting into his sleeves, there was no way it didn't hurt, but he didn't even budge, or show the least bit of pain.

The Eboshi woman seemed to find the boy's claim to be humorous as she gave him a mocking smile. "I'm sure she'll make a lovely wife for you," she taunted, still trying to break through his defenses.

"There's a demon inside you," he told her, his voice as calm as ever. "It's inside both of you."

What did he know of demons? Humans were the real demons. They caused so much pain and suffering, yet always claimed to be the victims, even as they hurt others. And the leader of them was a mere foot away. All she had to do was break free and kill her.

She bit down harder, and suddenly something emerged from the boy's arm. It wasn't blood though; it was something else. A long transparent blue tentacle with some sort of snapping jaw. It was followed by another, and then another, until several squiggling ghostly tentacles squiggled all over his arm.

San jumped back in surprise, but was still unable to break the boy's grip. The tentacles moved around rapidly. There was something incredibly evil about them, the likes of which San had never seen before. They reminded her of the Demon Worms that sprouted from the bodies of gods when they became demons after being overcome by pain and hate. But humans couldn't become demons the way fallen gods did, so what were they?

She wasn't the only unsettled by the tentacles; horrified gasps ran out around them as the townsfolk stared in shock, seemingly unable to find the will to approach him.

"Look, everyone!" the boy shouted to the crowd. "This is what hatred looks like! This is what it does when it catches hold of you! It's eating me alive, and very soon now it will kill me! Fear and anger only make it grow faster!"

San barely registered his words. The ghostly blue tentacles continued slithering about, and she struggled to get away from them, but was unable to pull out of the boy's grasp. Those tentacles, they terrified her. They felt so evil, so full of pain and hate. She had come into this town ready to face her death, yet these tentacles terrified her far more than the thought of losing her life.

Eboshi seemed to be more in control of herself. "I'm getting a little bored of this curse of yours, Ashitaka. Let me just cut the damn thing off!"

She swiped at him with her smaller dagger. The boy dodged, and struck her in the abdomen in such a spot and with such force that the blow left her stunned, knocking her out. San was surprised, but before she could react, he pulled her to him and delivered to her the same blow. After that, everything went black.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

An up and down rocking sensation slowly brought San back to consciousness. At first she thought she was riding on one of her brothers, but then she realized that the ride was different.

This thought was immediately replaced by a feeling of pain in her abdomen from the blow that had knocked her out. A groan escaped her, and her eyes cracked open. To her surprise, she saw that she was riding a red elk that was not native to these parts. The next thing she became aware of was that she was not the only one riding it. Someone was on here with her, sitting right behind her.

With a gasp of surprise, she looked over her shoulder. It was the boy. He was her fellow passenger. Not for long, however, as her movement caused him to fall, and he tumbled off the elk, flopping onto the ground.

The elk realized it had lost its master, and began bucking about wildly. San attempted to steady herself as she looked back at the boy. One of her brothers, both of which had been following closely behind, skidded to a stop and lunged at the boy, clamping his jaws over his head.

"Stop it!" San shouted to him. If anyone had the right to kill that boy, it was her. "Leave him, he's mine!"

She hopped off the elk, and it took off. Her hand went to her aching abdomen as she limped over to her brother and the boy. Her brother let him go and backed away as she approached. San suddenly realized that he was bleeding profoundly from a wound in his torso. He hadn't had that back in the town, nor was it an injury either of her brothers could deliver.

As she got closer, she realized that it was a bullet wound, the bullet having gone straight through his chest and out his back, or the other way around. But a bullet wound meant that someone in Irontown had done this to him. But why? He was one of them. And why did he try to save her, and the Eboshi woman as well? Just what was this boy hoping to achieve?

"His own people shot him," she told her brothers as they nuzzled against her. "He's dying."

The boy's breathing was shallow. He appeared to barely be conscious. And with the amount of blood he lost, it was no surprise. He wouldn't live for much longer.

But why had he done all this? Just who was he?  _What_  was he? He was definitely not an ordinary human. She had no idea what had happened back in Irontown, and that was only one of the many questions she had. But right now, there was only one that really mattered to her.

Crouching down, she fixed him with a glare, even though he couldn't see her. "Why did you stop me from killing her? Tell me while you're still alive."

The boy's mouth moved; it looked like it took a lot of effort. His voice was low, but he stilled managed to get the words out. "I… didn't want them to kill you… That's why…"

San's eyes narrowed, unsure of how she should feel about that, of having a human care about her wellbeing, but she hung on to her anger at his interference from earlier. "I'm not afraid to die. I'd do anything to get you humans out of my forest."

His mouth worked some more. "I knew that… from the first moment I… saw you…"

His answer only infuriated her. Did he think she was some damsel in distress that needed to be saved? Did he see her as some frightened little wolf pup that needed to be protected? She was a warrior, a predator. She didn't need to be saved or protected.

"And I'm not afraid of you!" she snapped. Her eyes darted to his sheathed blade, and she went for it. "I should kill you for saving her!"

She pulled his sword free, turning him onto his back in the process. Raising the blade, she brought it down, stopping less than an inch from his neck. The boy didn't react. Did he trust that she wouldn't really kill him, or was he just too weak to defend himself? She suspected the latter, and for some reason, that helped dissipate her anger. She had to remind herself that this boy was an outsider, and probably didn't fully understand what was happening between her and the humans. He was probably even fed that same nonsense story about the gods of the forest stealing her soul and controlling her.

"That woman is evil," she told him, feeling the need to make him understand. Not just the situation, but her determination to end the Eboshi woman's life, and her tone gained a harder edge. "And there's no one who can stop me from killing her."

"No…" the boy whispered weakly, his voice barely audible. "Live…"

He was begging her to keep living? When his own life was coming to an end? She didn't understand this, not from a human. Why did he care about her so much? He didn't even know her? What drove his compassion?

She gripped the blade tighter, feeling her anger spark again for reasons she couldn't quite understand. "That's enough! I'm not listening to you anymore!"

Slowly, his eyes cracked open, and he looked up at her as he once again struggled to find his voice. "You're… beautiful…"

San gasped in surprise and jumped back, startled. He'd called her beautiful. And… and had her heart just skipped a beat because of it? In an instant, her anger vanished, and an unknown feeling suddenly overcame her. It felt like something akin to fear, though she didn't know why. She was even breathing heavily. But why? And why had he said that to her?

The older of her brothers came up next to her, looking confused by her behavior. "What is it, San? Want me to crunch his face off?"

San didn't respond. She was still trying to work out what she was feeling. No one had  _ever_  called her beautiful before. She had been called brave, fierce, loyal, all levels of praise by her mother and brothers, but never beautiful. In fact, she had never once thought of herself as beautiful. Whenever she saw her face, she only ever saw the face of the enemy. To suddenly be called beautiful by this boy, it made her feel… She didn't know.

The sound of a rock hitting the ground brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned to the source of the sound. A few yards away, she saw some more of the forest's residents. They had gathered together, hiding in the shadows as they tossed rocks and sticks.

"The ape tribe," she said out loud to herself. Another rock landed by her feet, and she glared at them furiously. "Alright, what do you want here?"

The fur one her brother's stood on end as they growled at the newcomers. San couldn't help but notice how the apes were keeping their distance. And with good reason too, for what they were doing. Tossing rocks and sticks at them like this, they certainly had a lot of nerve.

"Apes!" the elder of her brothers snarled furiously. "How dare you show such disrespect to the Wolf Clan!"

"This is our forest," one of the apes replied in a monotone voice.

"The human," another grunted in an equally as monotone voice, "give him to us."

"Give us the human and go," added a third.

"You go," her brother shot back, "before my fangs find you!"

"We will not go," another ape replied.

"We will eat the human," another declared.

"Yes, let us eat the man creature."

A wave of revulsion went through San. She had never heard of apes eating humans. The very thought disgusted her. "Are you crazy? Just what happened to make the ape tribe change this way? Since when do apes eat the flesh of a man?"

"If we eat the human, we will steal his strength, and we will drive the other humans away," one of the apes explained calmly.

"Give us the man creature."

Still his strength? How preposterous. What made the apes think they could do something so ridiculous? Had they seen his power back in Irontown and think they could somehow take it for themselves?

Her thoughts turned to that evil power that had seeped out of the boy's arm. She couldn't comprehend anyone wanting to have that type of evil power inside them. "Stop this! You know you can't possess the humans' strength by eating them. All that will do is make you into something else. Something even worse than human."

"We plant trees," an ape argued back. "Humans tear them up. The forest does not come back. If we kill the humans, we will save the forest."

There was something sad in their voices, something resigned, almost as if they had given up hope. Was this the cause for their unusual behavior? Were the apes so desperate to save the forest that they would be willing to commit such blasphemous acts, to become demons? The thought tore at San's heart.

"You mustn't give up!" she declared, trying to hide her own sadness for all the loss suffered from the humans' greed. "We'll find a way. The Forest Spirit is with us. Go on planting you're trees, and one day we'll beat them."

"The Forest Spirit will not fight," an ape objected. "We will all die. Wolf girl does not care. She is human."

San winced. She hated it when the other gods referred to her as human. She knew she was human, she didn't need them constantly reminding her, and she especially hated it being held against her, like it somehow made her wicked and greedy like the others. She couldn't help that she was human, but she was nothing like those monsters in the town below.

The younger of her brothers was insulted on her behalf as well, and had finally seemed to have enough with the ape tribe's disrespect. "Enough! I'll bite your head off, you chattering ape!"

He charged forward, snarling and snapping, as did his brother. The apes realized they had gone too far and fled as her brothers chased after them.

"Stop!" she called after him. "Wait, come back! Leave them alone!"

There was enough to be concerned about without worrying about a few insults and disrespect. Besides, the enemies were the humans. It was them they should be fighting, not each other.

"Don't worry about them; it's alright," she said, putting what the apes said out of mind. "You two go on ahead." She glanced down at the boy. "I'll stay here and deal with the human."

"What about the elk?" the younger of her brothers asked.

"Yes," said the elder of the brothers eagerly. "Can we eat him?"

San turned to see that the elk was still with them, keeping its distance. She was impressed by its loyalty to its master. She was also glad it stuck around; she would need its help.

"No, you may not," she told her brothers. She noted the hungry, hopeful looks on their faces as they stared at the elk, and couldn't help but crack a smile as she reached out to pet the one closest to her. "Go home."

Her eldest brother let out a grumble of disappointment, but they both headed off without another word of complaint. San looked back down at the boy, coming to a decision of what she should do. This was beyond her right to judge. Even if he was human, this boy may not be an enemy of the forest. Only the Forest Spirit had the right to decide what his fate would be.

She looked back at the elk. "Come over here." She noticed its hesitation, and gave it a smile. "Don't worry, I'm a friend. Don't be shy now. I won't hurt you. I need you to help me carry him."

The elk hesitated some more, but then it cautiously walked over to her. San gave it an appreciative smile and bent down to sheath the boy's sword. It seemed he had lost consciousness. It was surprising he had lasted this long. But it was out of her hands now. Whether he lived or not would be up to the Forest Spirit.

As she lifted him up onto the elk, she studied his unconscious face. She decided he was pleasing to look at for a human, not that she had ever taken the time to consider whether she liked the way any other humans looked before. This boy, however, was an enigma. She was very curious to know more about him. About who he was, and what his agenda was.

Ashitaka, she suddenly recalled him telling her. His name was Ashitaka.

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	2. Part 2

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No matter how many times San saw it, the pool of Shishigami, the Forest Spirit, always took her breath away with its beauty. The place truly was magical, both figuratively, and literally. Which only made sense, as it was the home of the Forest Spirit.

Well, technically the entire forest was the Forest Spirit's home, but it was this place that he generally dwelled. This land was blessed, and as such had obtained a divine power. And not just anyone was welcome here, at least not humans. San was the exception, being a daughter of the Wolf Clan. Ashitaka, however, remained to be seen. That was entirely up to the Forest Spirit, as was whether or not he lived or died. As things stood, he was too far gone to be saved by anything other than divine means.

She was grateful Ashitaka's elk trusted her. She may be strong, but carrying him all this way would have taken a long time and been very tiresome. She could have asked one of her brothers to bring him, but for some reason, she wanted to do this herself. Besides, their mother needed them. She was getting sicker and weaker by the day, the infection from the bullet they had been unable to retrieve spreading and getting worse.

She tried not to think about that as she focused on the task at hand. Heading over to a lone bit of vegetation, she cut it free. A few Kodamas appeared around it, looking at what she had done to the plant curiously. The tree spirits were harmless, and appeared to not care that she had brought another human here. She took that as a good sign.

Heading over to the pool of the Forest Spirit, she reached up and pulled Ashitaka down from the elk's back and pulled him into the water. The elk followed after her as she paddled along, dragging Ashitaka with him. But when she reached the small island in the middle of the pool, the elk came to a stop, not stepping onto the land.

San had no hesitations though, she knew she was welcome here. She pulled Ashitaka up onto the land, letting him remain half in the water; its healing properties would help sustain him until the Forest Spirit decided what to do with him. If he truly meant them no harm, the Forest Spirit would know, for he was a wise and mighty being, far more ancient than even the oldest god of the forest.

Taking the stalk she had cut, she stabbed it into the ground above Ashitaka's head. This would call the Forest Spirit here, and he would decide what to do from here. She had to admit, part of her hoped that the Forest Spirit would spare his life. She was… intrigued by him and wanted to know more. Truthfully, she had never really even engaged in conversation with another human. The most interaction she'd had with another involved engaging in battle.

Looking down at him, she placed an ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat. It was slow and weak. It was a miracle he was still alive. He was no ordinary human, that was for sure. There was definitely something supernatural about him. Or perhaps demonic would be a better word. She still recalled those evil tentacles. They had not come from him, but from something that had made a host of him. What it was still remained to be seen, but she would trust the Forest Spirit on that as well.

Her gaze shifted to the elk in the water. It kept careful watch over its master protectively, but did not dare to get any closer. San couldn't help but to smile at that. "You are very wise; you know better than to set foot on this island, don't you?"

Standing up, she raised an arm to her face. The scent of smoke and iron was present. She hated that smell; it was so revolting. How the humans could stand to be around that stench all the time was beyond her. Perhaps their noses weren't as sharp as hers. Being brought up by wolves, she had been trained to use all her senses to the fullest.

"Uch, I smell like a human," she grumbled.

She walked back into the water and swam over to the elk. She eyed the harness with distaste. She hated how humans attempted to domesticate animals like this, to use them as slaves for things they were too weak or too lazy to do themselves. It was different from the type of companionship she had with her brothers; the humans were forcing the animals to do their bidding.

Reaching up, she undid the harness from the elk and pulled it off him. "You can go wherever you want to. You're free now."

She swam off to leave the elk to do as it wished. She knew that it had understood her, but to her surprise, it simply shook its head and went back to watching its master. This sparked San's interest. The elk was displaying true loyalty of its own free will, not simply obeying the orders of its master. How very curious.

She glanced at Ashitaka's still form once more. There was nothing more she could do. It was up to the Forest Spirit now. Whatever happened next was completely out of her hands.

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The Forest Spirit had made his decision. He had decided that Ashitaka should live. So he truly wasn't an enemy then. The Forest Spirit would not have healed him if he were. San found that she was relieved by this, though she wasn't sure why.

Still, coming back from the brink of death was not something one simply recovered from right away. Ashitaka would be very weak for several days yet. His body would need to recover from the trauma, and would need to rebuild its strength.

San decided to help him along. After the Forest Spirit had breathed life back into him and healed his wound, she had retrieved him from the small island and tended to him. He slept for quite some time after this, his body slowly recovering. The elk had refused to leave his side the entire time.

Upon realizing that the elk would not leave his master, San had conversed with him. He could not speak the way her mother and brothers could, but having been raised amongst the gods and animals of the forest, San knew of different ways they could communicate that would be just as effective as words.

She learned many things during these conversations. She'd asked many questions of Ashitaka and where he came from. The elk, whose name she had learned was Yakul, was happy to answer any and all of her questions. He told her of the small isolated village Ashitaka had come from, and the way his people, the Emishi, lived.

San had to admit that she was both surprised and impressed by what he told her. It seemed that Ashitaka's people did not live greedy lives off the land, but rather lived with the land. They were peaceful people, living harmonious lives with nature and the animals around them. San surmised that this was why Ashitaka was the kind and caring person he was. The Emishi valued all life, whether it was man or beast. It was a trait the humans of Irontown seemed to be lacking. If all humans were like them, then there would be no need for this horrible war.

Perhaps it was a result of someone called the emperor driving the Emishi people away many years ago. It had isolated them from the rest of human society, allowing them to maintain the balance humans once had with nature. San was glad to hear this. Despite her hate for humans, she was happy to learn that there were at least some that were still good.

Yakul also told her about Ashitaka, about what type of person he was. He was a kind and loving master who treated him like a companion, and not a slave. He had even saved his life. Yakul even viewed him as more of a friend rather than as his master, and it seemed that Ashitaka felt the same, always treating Yakul as an equal rather than an animal.

San's interest in Ashitaka continued to grow with the more she learned about him. He was nothing like the humans she had come to know. But when she asked why he had come searching for the Forest Spirit, Yakul was unable to answer, claiming he did not understand. After fighting off a beast that had attacked the village, he and his master had left the village. Yakul thought it was due to an injury or an illness Ashitaka had obtained. Because of it, he had been forced to leave his village, even his sister, Kaya, never to return, in order to find a cure.

It seemed San would need to get any further answers from Ashitaka himself once he woke up. And a few days later, he finally began to stir. She'd quickly rushed off to find him something that would help him recover, and returned with a slab of dried meat. Ashitaka was awake by the time she returned, and she paused to give Yakul a reassuring pat that he would be ok before turning her attention to the boy.

"Finally, you're awake," she said with a smile. "You know, you should really thank Yakul; he hasn't left your side this whole time."

His eyes cracked open. Even that seemed to take a lot of effort. "How'd you know his name's Yakul?"

San's smile widened as she scratched the elk's chin, and he nuzzled against her affectionately. "He told. And he told me about you, about your village, your people, and your forest." She glanced down at Ashitaka. "The Forest Spirit brought you back to life again. He wants you to live."

Ashitaka's eyes had fallen shut again, and San knelt by his side as he tried to speak again. "I had the strangest dream… There was a golden creature…"

He needed to eat to recover his strength. Breaking off a piece of the dried meat, she touched it to his lips. "Eat this."

She gently pushed the meat into his mouth. He opened up to accept it, but his mouth didn't seem to want to cooperate. A sliver of guilt ran through San as she realized that she was partly at fault for him ending up so weak and helpless. This had only happened because he had saved her. Despite the fact that he was human, she trusted him, especially now that the Forest Spirit had given him his blessings.

"Chew," she told him in a kind voice.

He tried, but lacked the strength, and the piece of meat fell out of his mouth. San picked it up and placed it into her own mouth. She chewed it up before lowering her mouth to him and feeding him the way a mother bird would feed her chicks.

This proved to be effective, but even swallowing seemed to require much effort on Ashitaka's part. San took another bite of the dried meat and continued to feed him mouth-to-mouth. But as she watched him, she saw tears appear in his eyes. San began to worry. Was he in pain? No, these tears were different; they were brought on by emotion. She briefly wondered what he was feeling before she feed him the rest of the meat.

Her administrations were soon distracted by the sound of something moving through the forest. And it wasn't her mother, who had suddenly joined them. To San's surprise, she saw a large number of boar gods approaching. They were different from Nago's herd. She wondered why they were here. This wasn't their forest. Didn't they have their own human troubles back home?

As the boars gathered, her brothers appeared as well, having remained off to the side with their mother as they kept watch in case anything happened with Ashitaka. Now they moved over to San, making it very clear that she was with them.

San wasn't worried for herself. Instead, she moved protectively in front of Ashitaka. The boars hated humans more than anyone. San didn't trust them not to kill him on sight.

Her fears seemed to be justified as one of the boars addressed her mother. "We have come to kill the humans and save the forest. Why are there humans here, Moro?"

"Humans are everywhere these days," her mother replied, her voice holding a layer of warning. "Go back to your own mountain; kill them there. The girl is San, my daughter."

"We will kill them  _here_!" the boar snapped back angrily. "We will save  _this_  forest!" His gaze shifted to Ashitaka. "What is that other human doing here!?"

This is what San had been afraid of. Had she and her family not been here, the boars may have killed Ashitaka already. The idea did not sit well with her, and she was unable to keep the concern out of her voice as she answered the boar. "He was shot, and the Great Spirit healed him. This man is not our enemy."

She needed to make that very clear, but it seemed that it was not something the boars wanted to hear. They began acting very hostile, squealing aggressively. The more common lesser boars were unable to speak actual words like the higher-ranking gods, but San was able to understand what they were saying just fine, and it was not pretty.

"The Forest Spirit saved  _him_!?" the head boar exclaimed furiously, which only seemed to stir up his brethren further. "Save the life of that loathsome runt? Why didn't he save Nago? Is he not the guardian of the forest? WHY!?"

San had been wondering that as well. But the Forest Spirit was far wiser than any of them. He sometimes did things that none of them understood. If he spared Ashitaka, but not Nago, then it must have been for a reason, even if they couldn't see it.

"The Forest Spirit gives life, and takes life away," Moro gently scolded the boar. "Life and death are his alone." Her voice took on a challenging tone. "Or have you boars forgotten that?"

"You lie!" the boar raged. "You must have begged the Forest Spirit to spare his life him! But you did not beg for Nago, did you!?"

"Nago was afraid to die," Moro replied. "Now I too carry within my breast a poisoned human bullet. Nago fled, and the darkness took him. I remain, and contemplate my death."

She said this calmly and matter-of-factly, as if she had accepted this inevitable outcome. But while her mother had seemed to come to terms with her death, San was still not willing to accept it. "Mother, please, ask the Forest Spirit to save you."

Moro gave her a tender look. "I have lived long enough, San. Soon the Forest Spirit will let me rest forever."

No, San couldn't accept that. It almost sounded as if her mother  _wanted_  to die. But why? Was she tired of all this fighting? Did she want to leave behind this world of pain? Did she simply seek to see her mate and the youngest of her children who had died, and whose skins had been given to San?

It didn't matter. San couldn't bear to lose anything else; she had lost too much already. The desperation crept into her voice, but she couldn't help it. "All these years you've defended the Forest Spirit! He must save you!"

The boars were still raging, and the head boar spoke up again. "You're not fooling us! Nago was beautiful and strong! He would not have run from anything! You wolves must have eaten them!"

Anger mixed with San's grief at the insult, and she turned back to the boars furiously. How dare they accuse the Wolf Clan of doing such a thing, especially to the guardian of the forest! To even suggest such a thing was outrageous.

"Quite!" she snapped at the angry boar. "What did you say, you filthy pig?"

It seemed as if the situation was going to go bad. And while her tribe was strong, San knew that they would never be able to fight off this many boar. But would they dare to defile the pool of the Forest Spirit with violnce? Even gods could be driven to such states of rage when pushed far enough.

Before she could figure out what to do next, a weak voice called out to them. "Gods of the mountain, please listen to me…"

It was Ashitaka. San looked at him in surprise. The very act of speaking must have caused him pain, but he seemed determined to play peacekeeper. The boars all quieted down and turned their attention to him. He was struggling to lift his hands as he fiddled with his sleeve.

"Nago died far from here," he said weakly, "and I was the one who killed him. He had become some kind of demon, and one day he attacked our village. If you want proof, look at my hand where he touched me."

He held up his now exposed hand, revealing an ugly black and purple mark. San hadn't noticed it before, having concerned herself with his bullet wound. She could tell right away that that mark was one of pure evil. That had been caused by Nago?

She knew that gods could become demons. It happened in instances where when a god became very physically weak, and then let their feelings of pain, anger, fear, and hate over take them. That hatred then manifested in the form of Demon Worms that would sprout over the god's body, turning them into mindless, bloodthirsty monstrous fueled by hatred and the drive to kill every living thing they saw. Such a demon could indeed place a curse on someone who they felt wronged them.

If Ashitaka had indeed killed Nago as he claimed, then she could understand why the boar god would curse him. Sadly, she had to admit that there would have been no other way to save Nago. Once a god became a demon, it was all but impossible to become a god once more. Demons were mindless killing machine, bringing death and decay to all in their path, with only the thought of destroying all in their path overtaking them. If this was what had befallen Nago, then killing him would have been a mercy.

Still, the sight of the mark horrified San, and she was overcome with sympathy for the boy. This must have been why he had come here, to find a cure for his curse. It also answered many of the questions she had about him. A curse like that, being semi-sentient, would seek to spread as much pain and death as it could. Enhanced strength would greatly help with that, which would explain why Ashitaka was so unnaturally strong; it would enable him to be a much better killing, something the curse would force upon him. It also explained what had happened back in Irontown, and what those tentacles were that had emerged from his arm; shadows of the Demon Worms that had infested Nago.

Ashitaka lowered his arm as he continued speaking. "I came here to beg the Forest Spirit to lift Nago's curse from me. He healed the bullet wound in my side, but the demon mark remains. First it will tear my soul apart, and then it will kill me."

A feeling of despair filled San's gut. Such a horrible fate to befall on someone. She couldn't possibly imagine what he must be going through. It must be unbearable. It seemed he truly did know what he had been saying in his little speech back in Irontown.

No one said anything, but the boars did begin to part as a newcomer approached. It was another boar god, but no ordinary one. This one was three times the size of any of the others, and ancient in appearance. He made his way slowly through his herd as he headed towards the clearing.

Moro relaxed somewhat upon seeing him. "Okkoto. Finally a boar who will listen to reason."

Okkoto did not reply as he made his way over to Ashitaka. San panicked as she worried that the boar might kill him, and quickly rushed over to his defense. "No, Lord Okkoto, wait, please, you must not eat him."

The ancient boar paused and glanced at her. His eyes were blank and stared out at nothing, unseeing. San realized that he was actually blind. She'd heard stories of the mighty boar god Okkoto, but this had not been one of them.

Despite his intimidating presence, Okkoto spoke in a kind voice. "Ah, you are Moro's human child, aren't you? I have heard of you."

"You're blind," San breathed, looking into his unfocused milky gaze.

"Stand back. I will not eat him."

"It's alright, San," Ashitaka whispered, his trust evident as he reached towards the boar god. "My Lord Okkoto, what I said about Nago's death was the truth."

Okkoto moved closer to Ashitaka's hand. He inhaled deeply, as if he were attempting to smell something from the boy. Perhaps he could scent traces of Nago in the curse. Everyone else was quiet as the boars waited for their leader to pass judgment. They looked ready to attack at a moment's notice if Okkoto gave the word.

Instead, the giant boar god's voice became filled with sorrow. "I believe you, and I thank you for it, young one. I am only grieved and ashamed that such a demon has come from our clan."

At his words, the hostility the other boars displayed seemed to evaporate. They accepted Okkoto's decision without question, and their anger turned to grief. San was relieved that the seemingly unavoidable dispute that had almost taken place had passed.

"Oh mighty lord," Ashitaka whispered, "is there a way to lift Nago's curse from me?"

Okkoto seemed to consider the boy for a moment, but then his voice became hard. "Leave this forest. For the next time we meet, I will have to kill you."

"You cannot win against the humans," her mother told the boar god regretfully. "Their guns will destroy you all."

Okkoto gave her a grievous look. "Look on my tribe, Moro. We grow small, and we grow stupid. We will soon be nothing more than squealing game that the humans hunt for their meat."

Moro's eyes grew sad. "You'd risk everything on one last battle? That's just what the humans want."

Okkoto did not deny this, and San got the feeling that he was already aware of this outcome. Yet he held his chin up high. "I do not ask for the help of the wolf tribe. Even if every one of us dies, it will be a battle the humans never forget."

There was nothing more to say. He turned his back on them and headed back into the forest. His tribe followed after him, leaving San and her family behind. As the area cleared out, San caught sight of something in the distance.

"The Forest Spirit," she awed quietly. No matter how many times she saw the divine creature, he always took her breath away.

The great god of the forest seemed to become aware that he was being watched and quickly scampered off, walking on the surface of the water. San wondered if he had been watching what had transpired with the boars. She couldn't begin to understand what was running through the mighty deity's head. He had so much power, yet he did not use it? The gods and animals of the forest were fighting to save his home, so why did he not help them? Was it his benevolence that prevented him from engaging in battle himself? At the very least, why did he not give his blessings to the others if he did not wish to fight himself?

And what of Ashitaka? He had healed the bullet wound and brought him back from the brink of death. That meant he trusted the boy and wanted him to live. But then why did he not lift the demon curse? It was well within his power to do so. He wouldn't save his life just to let him die a far more horrible and painful death by Nago's curse.

There had to be a reason. Did he think Ashitaka's demon strength would be necessary before the war was over? Or maybe it was something far more simple. Maybe he was simply leaving them to their own devices to face the choices they made, to suffer the consequences of the paths they had chosen. But then why make an exception for Ashitaka, especially when he would just end up dying later?

San didn't understand, but then again, it wasn't her place to. For now, Ashitaka was alive, and she was determined to keep him that way. He still had a rough road to recovery ahead of him. After that… well, she would just have to wait and see.

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He'd slept for days after he woke up the first time. San had moved him from the pool of the Forest Spirit to her cave after that. She tended to his needs over the next few days as he continued to sleep. But he was looking better and healthier every day. It was a big relief to her.

Not that it would matter. It had been decided that once he had regained his strength, he was to leave the forest. San found herself feeling… sad about that. She had grown fond of him over the past several days, even though he had spent pretty much all of that time asleep. She would even say she cared for him, more than she wanted to admit. She wished she could have gotten to know him even more, away from all this death and destruction brought on by the war.

Sadly, she would never get that opportunity. What was likely to be the final battle was quickly approaching. If they were going to defeat the humans, the best time would be when Okkoto and his tribe attacked. It might be the their last chance. Something was happening with Irontown. Not just with the residents, but also with the other humans, those samurai that served Lord Asano, and some other newcomers. It seemed as if a big battle was going to come to pass. It looked like the end of the war was going to reach its conclusion in the next couple of days.

Hopefully, Ashitaka would be far away from here when that happened. This wasn't his war; there was no reason for him to die because of it. He'd already suffered a terrible fate thanks to Nago's curse, she didn't want him to suffer any more because of it. She hoped he would find a cure and be able to live out the rest of his life in peace. That, sadly, would not be an option for her, not if they lost this war.

The sound of footsteps stirred San from her sleep, and she cracked her eyes open to see Ashitaka sitting beside her. Not only was he awake, but it looked as if his strength had returned. She was relieved to see that, but he also had a deep look of concentration on his face, as if he were thinking about something very hard.

"You're feeling alright?" she asked quietly.

She must have startled him, for he gasped at her question. But then he gave her a tender look, smiling at her gratefully. "I'm fine, thanks to you and the Forest Spirit."

San returned the smile and closed her eyes again. It was the middle of the night, and she was exhausted. She curled up into a tighter ball, having sacrificed her bed and blanket to keep Ashitaka warm, relying on her wolf skins to protect her from the night chill.

But then she felt Ashitaka drape the blanket over her. She wanted to thank him, but sleep pulled at her consciousness, and she drifted off once again.

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San rode on her brother as they searched for their mother. It wasn't hard to find her. The humans were assembling, and San knew that their mother would be observing them, trying to figure out what they were doing.

They found her right where they expected, staring down at the growing number of humans. The greedy creatures were preparing for battle, ripping down trees and burning them, sending clouds of smoke out over the forest. San made a face as the burning smell washed over her and covered her nose and mouth.

"It stinks, and it burns my eyes," she muttered distastefully.

"That's what they want," Moro told her. "They're trying to kill our sense of smell."

San hated to admit it, but the humans were good at strategizing. Or at least that Eboshi woman was. She could see her now, standing amongst the other humans beside a short fat man San had never seen before, even though he seemed to have high ranking amongst the new humans.

"It's that damn woman again," she growled, cursing how she failed to kill her before. "She knows we're out here."

"It's a trap," Moro noted. "And a stupid one."

San looked at her mother in surprise. "What?"

"They're trying to lure the boars out of the forest."

"No!"

"The humans are planning something."

Worry gripped San as she thought of Okkoto and the others. If the humans were planning something, then they had to be warned that they were playing right into the Eboshi woman's hands. "Then we have to find Okkoto while there's still time to stop him, or they'll all be killed!"

"Okkoto is too stubborn," Moro told her, sounding slightly annoyed. "He won't listen; none of them will. They may even know it's a trap. The boars are a proud race. The last one left alive will still be charging blindly forward."

Her mother was right, San realized, and she knew better than her. The boars were indeed a proud, stubborn race. They were placing all their hopes on one last battle. They wouldn't turn back, even if it was a trap. They would fight to the end, even if it meant their deaths.

Her gaze left the Eboshi woman and shifted to the other humans as they continued to tear down trees and burn them. She'd seen the humans tear down trees before, something about wanting the iron in the mountain, but doing this before a battle seemed like an unusual time to feed their own greed.

"Why chop the trees down?" she asked.

"To make them angry," Moro lamented, referring to the boars, "which makes them stupid."

Despair gripped San, and she buried her face into her mother's fur. No matter how this battle went, there would be so much death. And it would very likely include hers, for she had decided to fight as well. She couldn't just stand by and let the boars go into battle alone. If this was to be the conclusion of the war, then she wanted to do her part, to fight for her home, her friends, her family.

"Mother, I have to go," she said quietly, keeping her face pressed to her mother's warm body. "Okkoto's blind, I must be his eyes. You understand?"

"Do as you must," her mother replied, her voice holding both pride and reluctant acceptance. Then San felt her shift slightly. "You know, that boy wanted to share his life with you."

Shock gripped San. Ashitaka had wanted to be with her? Did that mean he had wanted her for his mate? Had he truly felt that strongly for her? Surely her mother would not jest about such a thing. She had known that Ashitaka was fond of her, and she admitted that she had grown fond of him, more so than she cared to admit, but she had not realized the depths of his feelings.

Several emotions San could not identify flowed over her. Too many to keep track of. Having viewed all humans as the enemy, she had never held out hope of ever finding a mate or having a family of her own. But now it seemed that that may not be such an impossible thing. Or it would have been if Ashitaka hadn't been leaving, and she wasn't planning on going off to what would most likely be her death. Any hope or happiness that her mother's revelation may have brought were quickly crushed because of this.

Along with those crushed hopes came anger. Anger at so many things. Of the humans for starting this war, preventing her and her family from achieving happiness, and from taking away any possible future. Anger at Ashitaka for making her feel this way, confusing her and stirring up so many unfamiliar emotions, and hope for the possibility of not having to spend her life alone. Anger at her mother for telling her this at all to make her feel this sense of loss.

She hung on to that anger, pushing aside any other emotions she may felt. She knew why her mother told her. She was giving her an out, to leave with Ashitaka and have a future away from this war. But no, she couldn't do that. She couldn't abandon her family and her home. She was of the Wolf Clan, she had pledged her allegiance to the Forest Spirit. She wouldn't let anyone or anything cause her to stray, not even her own heart. And she was suddenly angry at Ashitaka for even making her feel the slightest bit of temptation for a life with him away from all this when she couldn't bring herself to turn her back on her family and home.

"I hate him!" she cried, unable to stop her voice from cracking as she choked on the words. But she needed to convince her mother, as well as herself, of where her allegiances lied. Whatever she may or may not feel for Ashitaka, she had to forget it, and remember that humans were the enemy. "I hate all humans."

Her mother said nothing more, for which San was grateful for. She hardened her heart, focusing on what she had to do. This would be the final battle, and she would need to keep her wits about her. She couldn't risk letting herself get distracted by anything.

The sound of a large beast coming drew her attention, and San turned to find one of her brothers running over to join them. He had stayed behind to show Ashitaka the way out of the forest. If he was here, then that meant that it was done. Ashitaka was gone. She felt both sad and relieved by that knowledge. Now things could return to normal, and she wouldn't need to worry about feeling confused anymore. She hoped that he would be safe, and find a way to lift his curse. He was a pure and kind soul, who deserved to live a full life of happiness.

As her brother joined them, something shiny flashed by his mouth. It looked like a crystal of some sort. It had a string tied to it, revealing it to be some kind of necklace. That could only have come from one person.

"From Ashitaka?" she asked in surprise, feeling all her anger at him from earlier disappear. "For me?"

She reached out and took the necklace, examining the gift. It was indeed a crystal of some kind, and it seemed to contain every color imaginable mixed together. It wasn't just a crystal or a necklace though. It had been carved and sharpened to be able to be used as a dagger.

"Pretty," she whispered, awed by its beauty.

She had never received a gift before. Not like this. Her mother and brothers supplied her with food and other essentials she needed to survive; even the clothes she wore had been stolen for her. But never had anyone given her an actual gift. Gift giving was not necessarily something those of the forest exchanged, and she felt moved by the small gesture.

Reality soon tore her attention away from the crystal dagger as her mother spoke to her brothers. "You two stay with San. I must go to the Forest Spirit."

And so it was time. The final battle was about to begin. San bit into the string, breaking through it, then tied the necklace around her neck at a shorter length. She would keep this gift with her always, for however long she had left to live. "Right, lets go."

Climbing onto her brother's back, they headed into battle, mixing in with the stampeding boar. The entire herd was charging into battle, their bodies covered in war paint of mud. They were very likely rushing towards their deaths, but not one boar seemed the least bit hesitant.

Riding up to one of the boar, San called out to it. "The Moro Tribe has come to fight with you! Where can I find Lord Okkoto?"

The boar answered with a squeal, but it was enough for San to understand. She raised her spear in acknowledgement. "Good luck, my friend."

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	3. Part 3

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San had seen some horrible things before, but never anything like what had happened in the battle with the humans. They had been charging towards the enemy when all hell had broken loose. Explosions had gone off, sending boars flying hundreds of feet in the air as walls of fire rose up. Even the humans on the front line were caught up in the blasts. Gunfire had followed, as had more explosions, some coming from up above. It was complete and utter chaos.

Everything that had happened after that was a blur, just a whirlwind of explosions, fire, guns going off, and blood. At one point, she had gotten separated from the younger of her brothers, and she feared he was dead.

The battle raged on as more and more boars fell. The new humans they were fighting were ruthless, far worse than the humans of Irontown. They didn't even seem to care if their own kind were caught in the crossfire. The boars fell at a rapid pace, bested by the humans' superior weaponry. So much death, so much destruction, it was a massacre.

She had done as she said. She had acted as Okkoto's eyes, but it prove to be futile. Even with her to guide him, the mighty boar god was bombarded with fire, bullets, arrows, and spears. And as the battle reached its conclusion, it soon became apparent that the boars would not be victorious. That did not stop them from fighting though, as they were determined to kill as many humans as they could before they fell.

San had at least managed to get Okkoto out of there. She managed to convince him that as long as he was alive, then there was still a chance for victory. He had been very reluctant, but she was able to to talk him into giving up the fight. They were now on their way to the pool of the Forest Spirit to beg for his help.

And Okkoto needed it. He was gravely wounded. His injuries were serious, life threatening even. But it seemed that Okkoto was hurting more on the inside than anything, suffering from the loss of his herd, feeling not only that he had let them down, but that he had pointlessly led them all to their deaths because of his own stubbornness and pride. Despair gripped him, as he felt that the situation was completely hopeless, and the once proud boar god's image was completely shattered. He seemed heartbroken and traumatized, and San was glad he had not been able to see the carnage of the battle.

They stumbled along towards the pool of the Forest Spirit. Okkoto was losing blood fast. San had been fortunate, having mostly received some cuts and scrapes. This was thanks mostly to her brother taking on a majority of the attacks; he was sporting numerous injuries of his own. Nowhere near as bad as Okkoto though. The boar god might very well die if he did not get help soon.

"We're almost to the pool of the Forest Spirit," she told him encouragingly. "Just a little farther. Keep going."

Okkoto's strength was very obviously leaving him, and he slipped on a rock. San made a futile attempt to help balance him, but ended up getting knocked over herself.

She grunted in pain and started to get up, but froze as she heard something moving nearby.

"What was that?" she wondered out loud. Someone else was here, and she glanced around suspiciously as she returned to the fallen boar god's side and placed a hand against him. "Lord Okkoto, something's wrong. We have to keep moving."

Her brother appeared at her side, looking into the forest. He was just as on edge as she was. "Something's out there."

San sniffed the air to try and pick up the scent, but the smell of the blood pouring off Okkoto and the trail of it he had left behind masked everything else. "What? With so much blood in the air that I can't smell it."

More movement, this time from up above. Several branches were tossed down at her, and San looked up to see members of the Ape Tribe. They were no longer hiding in the shadows, and were now being openly hostile towards her.

"I should have known it was you!" she growled in frustration.

"You did this!" one of the apes accused.

"Because of you, the forest will die!" the other shouted.

San angrily swatted away another stick that was thrown at her. "You're wrong! We've all been fighting to save the forest! This is the thanks you give us!?"

"You bring bad things!"

"Bad things coming neither human or animals!"

That sounded more like a warning rather than an accusation. "What do you mean 'neither human or animal'?"

There was more movement from the forest, and several smaller animals came rushing over. They seemed to be fleeing from something. Could it be what the apes had been referring to?

"They're coming!" one of the apes cried as he and his companion fled through the trees.

"It's the end for us!"

As several rodents ran across her feet, San braced herself for whatever was coming. She'd had seen countless horrors today. What other monstrosity would come for her next? Whatever it was, she was ready for it.

Or so she had thought. From within the trees, one of Okkoto's boar warriors poked its head out. But she could tell right away that there was something very, very wrong. Its shape was wrong, and its skin appeared loose. Most unsettling of all were the eyes; there weren't any. It was as if it had two black holes in its head where its eyes should be.

It wasn't alone. There were others just like it. They approached slowly, moving in an inhuman fashion. San suddenly realized what they were, and felt a wave of revulsion go through her. "They're warriors."

Blood poured from Okkoto's snout, but his nose still seemed to be working as he picked up their scent. He seemed to find new strength as he began forcing himself to his feet. "They've come back. My warriors! They have come back to me from the land of the dead!" He let out a monstrous blood-curdling roar, which was very unlike that of the boar god. "Forward, my warriors!"

San looked at him worriedly as she realized that the humans' ruse was working. "Lord Okkoto, listen."

He either didn't hear her or ignored her entirely as his voice began to become hysterical. "Forward to the pool of the Forest Spirit!"

"Okkoto, no, wait!"

But there was no waiting. Okkoto began charging forward, and the hallowed out boars followed after him. San ran to keep up with the giant boar god, desperately trying to get through to him.

"No, Lord Okkoto, your warriors haven't come back to you." She looked over her shoulder as boar-skinned humans crept along. "Those are humans wearing the skins of your warriors to hide their scent. It's a trick! Don't you understand? It's just a human trick to get us to lead them to the Forest Spirit!"

It seemed as if Okkoto didn't hear her. He seemed to being losing all sense of reason, becoming less and less coherent, seemingly going mad with anger, pain, and grief. He charged straight through a boulder in his path, shattering it to rubble, and didn't even slow.

"Come out, Forest Spirit!" Okkoto begged, all traces of the wise, proud, and noble boar god gone. "If you are truly master here, give my warriors the power to slay the humans and be victorious!"

If he kept going at this rate, San knew what would happen to him, and it wouldn't be something as simple as death. "Stop, Lord Okkoto! Please, you've got to listen!"

Her brother seemed to have come to the same conclusion as she had, and became desperate to get her away from the boar god as the humans began to surround them on all sides. "San, they're all around us! Okkoto's done for! Leave him!"

"No!" she shouted desperately. "I won't let him turn into a demon like Nago did! Tell Mother that the humans are setting a trap for the Forest Spirit! She'll know what to do! You'll have to hurry, or it could mean the end of all of us!"

She could see that her brother was reluctant to leave her, and she spoke to him in a calmer voice. "Go on now."

She was relieved when he took off, jumping over the skin-wearing humans and disappearing into the forest. Things were looking bleak for her and Okkoto, but if her brother managed to get to their mother and the Forest Spirit in time, then perhaps they could still save the forest.

They came to a small clearing, and Okkoto paused here, exhausted. He fell to the ground and began breathing heavily. The boar-skinned humans immediately surrounded him and San, and she stood in front of the boar god protectively.

"Stay back, or you die," she warned. "And then this whole forest will see just what you are!"

As she said this, a howl cut through the forest. She recognized that howl, it was that of her the brother she had been separated from in battle. He was alive after all, and he was looking for them. He wasn't alone either; someone else was with him.

San gasped in surprise. "Ashitaka?"

He had come back? Despite the warning he had received? Despite the battle raging on? He had returned? For her? She felt… she didn't know how to put it into words. Touched didn't seem quite appropriate.

A pained squealed from Okkoto ruined the moment as a he vomited up a pool of blood. San turned to see that a few of the humans had snuck up while she was distracted and were now cutting into his side. Furious at herself for getting distracted, and for the humans for daring to harm someone already so gravely injured, she ran at them, swinging her spear wildly.

"Get back!" she shouted, and the humans retreated. These humans truly were sadistic unfeeling monsters. Just how much more pain did they plan on causing?

"I burn!" Okkoto moaned. "There are flames growing inside of me!"

She turned to him just in time to see dark red parasite-like tentacles sprouting from his body like maggots. They were like the kind that had emerged from Ashitaka's arm, only they were solid. San realized what was happening and desperately began trying to brush them away. Touching the Demon Worms burned like fire, even though they left no visible mark, but she forced down the pain as she shouted to the boar god.

"You must fight it! Don't let yourself become a demon! Lord Okkoto!"

It was no use. Okkoto's body had become too weak, and he was too overcome with pain and hate. She refused to give up though, and continued brushing the Demon Worms away. But as she futilely tried to save him, something struck her in the back of the head, and everything went dark, collapsing onto Okkoto's nose, getting hooked onto his giant tusks.

She was only out for a few seconds before an unbearable burning pain woke her up. "I'm on fire," she muttered weakly, feeling as if her body was up in flames.

Her eyes cracked open, and she saw herself surrounded by Okkoto's Demon Worms. He was already turning, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Had Ashitaka truly fought a demonized Nago? If he had been anything like what Okkoto was now, she didn't know how he managed it.

Worse of all, she was being consumed by his Demon Worms. They began burrowing through her body as well, burning her from the inside out. They did not go through her physically, leaving no wounds or physical marks, but it was as painful as if they actually were.

She struggled to get free, but there were too many. She was becoming possessed, caught up and swept away by Okkoto's rage. She could feel it fill her, consuming her thoughts and mind. It became difficult to think straight as she felt her mind getting lost amongst the pain and hate. She was losing herself as the possession took over.

"No!" she shouted desperately as she attempted to hang on to herself. "I don't want to become a demon! Please stop, Okkoto!"

But Okkoto's mind was already gone, lost amongst his rage. And soon, hers was too.

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There was nothing, nothing but anger, pain, and hate. It was all she knew, all she could comprehend. She couldn't think, she could only feel. She wasn't aware of anything, only these awful feelings running through her, and the fiery burning sensation all around her. There was no distinction between her and the mindless monster carrying her, and any and all thoughts escaped her amongst the rage.

But through it all, something penetrated the evil that had consumed her. It was a name, her name, being called by someone she knew. It awoke something that was lost amongst the rage, and she clung to it like a life preserver. She managed to pull herself together and get her thoughts in order, becoming self-aware again.

She recognized that voice. It was Ashitaka. And he was calling her name. She thought she would never hear his voice again. It had been enough to help her escape Okkoto's rage, but she wouldn't be able to last long before the possession took over her again.

"Ashitaka!" she called to him, as loudly as she could.

The rage started to take over, and she did everything she could to keep it at bay. Everything else faded away as she focused all her energy into holding onto herself. Seconds stretched on endlessly, and time lost all meaning as the burning rage threatened to take her away again.

Then she heard her name being called again. Amongst the burning, she felt a pair of hands grasp her face. Opening her eyes, she saw Ashitaka's face in front of hers. He had jumped onto Okkoto for her? No, he had jumped onto a  _demon_  for her. After already having faced the horror of Nago in his demon form. The pain must be unbearable. She knew that for certain, for she felt it herself. But he seemed focused on nothing more than saving her.

"Ashitaka," she whispered softly.

The demon that had once been Okkoto roared, and began shaking his head violently. The momentum sent Ashitaka flying. He clung onto her, but she was still caught on Okkoto's tusks, and the Demon Worms still had hold of her. They lost their grip on each other as Ashitaka was sent flying away from her, calling her name. She called his as well, desperately reaching out for him, but the Demon Worms wrapped around her, keeping her where she was.

The rage began to overtake her again, and she was becoming lost once more. She felt her consciousness fading out again as she was once again possessed.

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The pain was fading, and the burning gone. With it, the rage and hate vanished as well. Instead was the cool welcoming relief of water. It slowly stirred San out of unconsciousness. What more, she felt her strength being restored, and her injuries healing. Only the waters of the pool of the Forest Spirit could do that.

She also became vaguely aware that she was in someone's arms. There was also some shouting going on. But she was not yet awake enough to fully register anything more than this.

Then she heard something that brought her back to full consciousness. It sounded like an explosion, a smaller one than from the battlefield, like from one of the humans' larger guns rather than a bomb. That could only mean one thing, danger.

She woke with a gasp, turning to the source, just in time to see the Forest Spirit, in the middle of his transformation into the Night Walker, have his head blown off by an exploding bullet. At his feet rested the bodies of not only Okkoto, but her mother as well, and the Forest Spirit's head dropped down between them. It was the worst sight San had ever seen, and she desperately tried to rush over to them, but Ashitaka held her tightly in his arms.

The Forest Spirit's body seemed to shrivel up, and a black mass formed at the area where his head had been blown off. San and Ashitaka stared in horror, sensing that something horrible was about to happen.

Then, all at once, the black mass exploded outward. It splattered against the ground and the trees, and immediately began draining the life out of everything. Trees and other plant life began to shrivel and die as the life was sucked out of it. Ashitaka quickly carried her away from the danger, climbing up onto the island she had brought him to before, and they were soon joined by her brothers.

Kodamas began raining dead from the trees, disappearing as they hit the ground. The black mass began growing larger and began to take form as it sucked life from everything it touched. Amongst the mass, Eboshi ran forward towards the Forest Spirit's head, having been the one to blow it off.

"Quick, Jigo," she called to the short fat monk San had seen standing beside her before the final battle had begun, "bring me that box of yours!"

The monk ran forward, looking at the black mass all around them fearfully. "The porters are all dead! Hurry! Hurry!"

The monk's men that were carrying the container meant for the Forest Spirit's head rushed forward. A portion of the black mass that had emerged from the Forest Spirit's body brushed up against some of them, and, to everyone's horror, they immediately dropped over dead.

Eboshi immediately assessed the situation. The Forest Spirit was sucking the life out of everything around him in order to prevent himself from dying. "Be careful not to touch the spirit's body; it'll suck the life out of you!"

A short distance away, Moro's eyes snapped open as the black mass began to slide over her body. She began to decay under the black mass' touch, and her head broke off and began slithering across the ground like a snake.

Oblivious to the incoming threat, Eboshi held up the head of the Forest Spirit. "Here it is, one head, as promised!"

She tossed it to the monk, Jigo she had called him. A moment later, her bodyguard called out her name, but not soon enough. San watched with great satisfaction as her mother's head lunged at the Eboshi woman, her giant jaws snapping shut on her right arm, biting it clean off, before landing in more of the black mass. The Eboshi woman collapsed into her bodyguard's arms, whispering something to him that San couldn't make out.

Standing with her brothers on the island in the middle of the pool of the Forest Spirit, San watched as Ashitaka swam over to Eboshi and her bodyguard as the monk and his men took off with the Forest Spirit's head. It seemed they believed that nonsensical myth about the Forests Spirit's head granting immortality to those that ate it.

San wasn't sure what had happened while she was out, but one thing was certain, that damn woman was to blame. She had killed the Forest Spirit, that much was certain, and may have even been responsible for her mother and Okkoto's deaths as well. In Okkoto's case, it would be an act of mercy, but her mother…

And now the forest was dying around them as the black mass sucked the life from everything. But San's focus was on Ashitaka as he dragged Eboshi through the water, approaching the island. San reached up and grasped the crystal dagger necklace Ashitaka had given her, pulling it free. It seemed almost poetic that he had given it to her, and she would use it to kill the wicked woman who had caused all this death and destruction as he delivered the witch to her.

Stepping up to the water's edge, she glared down at the Eboshi woman as Ashitaka dragged her onto the island, much as she had done to him what felt like a lifetime ago. Only this time, a life would be taken rather than saved.

"Give her to me!" she seethed. "I'll cut her throat!"

Instead, Ashitaka removed his top, revealing that his cursed mark had spread across his torso. He began to wrap it around Eboshi as he gave San a sympathetic look. "Your clan has been avenged. Your mother saw to that."

Losing an arm? That was to balance out all the evil the Eboshi woman did? All the death, all the destruction? The lives of her mother, Okkoto, the Forest Spirit, the forest itself, all the other animals and gods? How could losing a single arm possibly be a fitting punishment? It wasn't anywhere near enough.

As Ashitaka began tying off Eboshi's severed arm to stop the bleeding, San quietly raged. She felt betrayed. As if after everything, Ashitaka was siding with Eboshi. How could he? After everything that woman had done. And what about the two of them? After everything they had been through, he was choosing that damn woman, denying San her vengeance.

She had been a fool. She'd been so hopeful for so many things. Hope that she could stop the humans from destroying the forest. Hope that she could save her mother. Hope that they could win this war. And, upon meeting and getting to know Ashitaka, she had become hopeful for something more, something she had never thought she could have. But all those hopes were dashed now. She almost wished that he had never come, then she wouldn't have to feel this pain and betrayal.

Deep down, she knew she was being illogical. Ashitaka was a peacekeeper. He didn't want anyone to suffer. San knew this, but she refused to accept that as an excuse. She wanted him to side with her, to let her take her revenge for all the things Eboshi had done, but he wouldn't even let her have that.

Despite the obvious pain she must have been in, Eboshi cracked a smile. "Don't waste your sympathy. Ow!"

Ashitaka glared down at her as he tied his shirt around her, his anger and disappointment at her actions evident. "I promised Toki that I'd bring you back to Irontown."

There the loud sound of movement from the other side of the pool. The black mass had reformed into the Night Walker, or a corrupt version of him. So the Forest Spirit wasn't dead quite yet, and was sucking the life from the forest around him to sustain himself. The head was still missing though, and he blindly reached around for it.

"He's searching for his head," Ashitaka noted. "We can't stay here." He turned back to San with a pleading look, and she took a step away from him. "San, you have got to help us."

She fixed him with a glare, letting him know just how betrayed she felt. "No! You're on their side! You always were! Take that damn woman and just go away!"

He looked genuinely hurt by her words. "San…"

She didn't want to hear his words. All she wanted was to hang onto her anger. If she didn't then she would fall into despair. "Never! I hate all of you humans!"

His expression didn't change, but his voice became eerily calm. "Yes, I'm human, San… and so are you."

No, she didn't want to hear this! She didn't want to hear his excuses, or his reasoning. She wanted someone to blame, someone she could let her anger out on, but there was no one. She found herself losing the ability to care. Tears threatened to creep up in her eyes, and she tried desperately to cling to her anger.

If she heard his words, if she accepted the truth she knew he would speak, then she would become overcome by her grief. She didn't want to accept it. She wanted to deny the truth of everything that was happening around her. She didn't want to accept her fault in all this, or that Ashitaka was blameless in all this and her anger towards him was unjustified.

"Stop it!" she shouted, hearing her own voice becoming less angry and more saddened. "I'm a wolf, you hear!"

"San…"

He slowly reached for her, and San almost became afraid. She didn't know what would happen if he touched her. Almost desperately, she lashed out without thinking, unleashing all her anger and grief. "Stay back!"

She stabbed into his chest with the crystal dagger. Ashitaka barely flinched. San, however, upon realizing what she had done, gasped in horror. She hadn't meant to do that. She had just acted without thinking, and she ended up hurting someone she cared about.

She suddenly remembered his words from back in Irontown, of what hatred did when it took hold of you. And she realized that there  _had_  been a demon inside her. Not the literal kind like what Okkoto had become, but a deep hatred for the humans and everything they had done. She had acted on that, and had ended up hurting someone without even thinking about it.

Ashitaka didn't hold it against her. He didn't even appear upset. Instead, he pulled her into a hug, holding her close, and San fell against him as she felt all her anger and hate seep out of her.

"I'm sorry," he told her sincerely, his voice filled with grief. "I tried to stop it."

Yes, she knew that. She knew all he had wanted was peace. But it was too late. Too late for everything. And what was worse, she just couldn't bring herself to care anymore. This whole war, her revenge, the anger and hatred. None of it seemed to matter anymore. Everything had come to an end, and all they were left with was sadness and pain. Ashitaka had been right all along, but they had all been too stubborn and foolish to admit it, or try to find another way, acting instead on their hate for each other.

"It's over," she whispered despairingly. "Everything's over. The forest is dead."

And it continued to die as the Night Walker stalked around, draining the life of the forest around him as he searched for his head. Dead trees collapsed, splashing into the water as the Night Walker began walking in the direction the monk and his men had run off in with his head, almost as if he could sense its location.

However, it seemed that Ashitaka was not willing to give up, not even now. He broke the hug and fixed San with a hard yet pleading look, grasping her shoulders tightly. "Nothing's over. The two of us are still alive." He looked into her eyes. "Now will you help me, San?"

She couldn't possibly say no.

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They managed to stay ahead of the black mass that poured from the Night Walker, killing everything in its path as the life was sucked from it. The Night Walker stumbled along after his head, coming up on Irontown and the unsuspecting humans, both inside and out.

San and Ashitaka rode on top of her brothers as they approached. They got as close to the town as they could before pausing for Ashitaka to climb off her brother and shout to those that had survived the attack of Lord Asano's samurai.

"Get everyone out! The Great Spirit's head has been cut off, and he wants it back! If that black ooze touches you, you're dead! Run for the lake! The water will slow it down! Lady Eboshi and the men are on their way from the other side! I'm going to try to return his head before he kills us all! Hurry!"

There was no more time to say anything else as the black mass flowed down to them. Ashitaka hopped back up onto her brother, and they took off after the head again. The black mass continued towards Irontown as the people fled. Asano's samurai had the misfortune of being in its path, and were overtaken by it, possibly even Asano himself.

The citizens of Irontown did as Ashitaka ordered, but several of them panicked and headed off in the wrong direction, getting swept away by the black mass as well. It continued to flow through the town, covering the forge, and it went up in flames, beginning to burn down the town.

San and Ashitaka paid it no mind. They had a more important mission to worry about. With her brothers' speed, they were able to catch up to the monk and his men, and San was quick to point them out. "There they are!"

They quickly cut them off, just as the black mass surrounded them. They jumped off the two wolves, and San quickly ordered them to get away from the black mass before she and Ashitaka rushed in front of Jigo.

"Stop right there!" Ashitaka demanded, blocking their path.

Sweaty and out of breath, the monk came to a stop. He looked surprised to see them, but gave them a nervous smile all the same. "Whoa! Oh, you're both alive. How nice."

"I'm giving the creature back its head. Put the box down and back away."

The monk looked ready to laugh at that. "Give the head back now? Come on, boy, don't be silly. Now, when the sun's about to come up?" He looked over his shoulder at the Night Walker. "Look at him. He's a brainless, swollen, life-sucking god of death, but at sunrise he'll vanish, like a bad dream."

That much appeared to be true. The Night Walker's body was growing fainter as the sun rose in the distance. But that did not matter. A great wrong had been done here, and it needed to be set right. In the past, San would have killed the monk and his men by now and taken back the head by force, but she was done with unnecessary killing. That way of life had only led to pain, and she'd had more than enough of it.

Still, they were running out of time. At this rate, the Night Walker would reach them, suck them dry, and take his head back by force. It would not save him, but to let him die in such a manner would curse the entire countryside.

"Sir, it's coming!" one of the monk's men exclaimed. "We've gotta get out of here!"

Jigo continued to smile, but now his expression became somewhat desperate. "Look, everybody wants everything, that's the way the world is, but I might actually get it."

Ashitaka's voice became hard. "Don't force me to kill you," he said calmly, but completely serious.

Jigo seemed to realize that the boy meant what he said. "Oh, dear, you make it sound so very easy. You really aught to… relax!"

He jumped up, aiming a kick at Ashitaka with his wooden sandals. He was surprisingly agile for one so short and so overweight as he continued to lash out at Ashitaka. One of his men pulled a knife on San and went after her, and she returned the favor with a kick to the head.

"Get going!" Jigo shouted to his two remaining men.

They began to carry off the head while San and Ashitaka were preoccupied. She managed to knock down her assailant, and quickly ran after the other two men. But by this time, the Night Walker was within reaching distance, and his giant hand stretched out towards the men fleeing with his head. They panicked and dropped the container, and it rolled past San as they fled.

"Ashitaka!" she called to him as it rolled past her and down towards him.

He made a go for it, but was cut off by Jigo as he jumped into the container's path. The force of it crashing into him knocked him down, and he began tumbling head over heels down the hill.

"Everything's, oof, under control! Oof!" he cried, finally becoming to a stop on a large boulder. He looked around and realized that he was completely surrounded by the black mass, and it was steadily closing in around him. "This is bad…"

San, Ashitaka, and the other assailant made a run for it, getting closed in by the black mass as they joined Jigo on his rock. He had his hands raised to the sky, calling out for the sun to rise.

"Open the box!" Ashitaka demanded in a tone that left no room for argument.

Jigo, however, still decided to do just that. "Don't you see, it's too late for that now."

San was losing her patience as she moved to stand beside Ashitaka, fixing the monk with a hard glare. "Why are you wasting your breath talking to him?"

Jigo gave her a bashful smile, but it seemed that Ashitaka's patience was at an end too. "Human hands must return it!"

A look of reluctant surrender crossed Jigo's face as he bent down and pulled the latch free of the container. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Inside, the Forest Spirit's head rested in a pool of transparent golden blood. San and Ashitaka reached down and picked it up, holding it over their heads. The golden blood poured down on them, and everywhere it touched, a cursed mark identical to the one Ashitaka had spread across them. San gasped in horror as the mark appeared all over her body. Was this what Ashitaka had lived with since Nago touched him? She couldn't possibly imagine it.

Ashitaka, however, paid his own spreading mark no mind as he and San raised up the head. "Forest Spirit, we give you back your head! Take it, and be at peace!"

The Night Walker came to a stop above them. He paused for a few moments, as if he had actually heard him, and perhaps he had; Ashitaka was holding his head after all. At any rate, the black ooze had stopped rising, with hardly any room left for the humans on the rock.

"Uh, well, that got his attention, all right," Jigo muttered.

Above them, the headless Night Walker began to bend down. His neck stretched out towards San, Ashitaka, and his head. They knew that the Night Walker's body would kill them, but they were prepared for that, facing their deaths without fear. San felt Ashitaka's arm wrap around her, and she was glad for his support during their last moments.

The essence of the Night Walker flowed over them, and they were blinded by a brilliant golden light. The head was lifted from their hands as it was reattached to the Night Walker once more. The surge of power was so great that they were knocked over, and everything went black.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Someone was speaking her name softly, and San slowly woke up. She saw Ashitaka above her, smiling down at her fondly. They were surrounded by a field of soft green grass that had not been there before. Were they dead? Had the Night Walker sucked the life out of them when they made contact? If they were dead, then she was glad that Ashitaka had been there by her side. At least they had been able to appease the Night Walker by righting the wrong done against it.

"Look," Ashitaka told her gently.

She did so, and realized that she recognized their location. It was the same place they had been when they returned the Night Walker his head. So they weren't dead then, the Night Walker had spared them. Her brothers and Yakul were there too, as were the monk and the other man, though they kept their distance.

San paid them no mind as she and Ashitaka rose and ran to see down the mountain. Down below, Irontown was completely destroyed, the Night Walker having fallen on it as he perished with the rising sun. But to her surprise, greenery was growing everywhere. The land, once devoid of trees and plant life, was growing everywhere. Grass, flowers, shrubs, and other plant life covered everything, even the remnants of Irontown. It seemed that in his last moments, the Night Walker had used the last of his power to restore the forest. It slowly grew back, bringing life to the land once more.

Despite the beautiful sight, San felt a deep sadness, and her shoulders sagged. "Even if all the trees return, it won't be his forest anymore. The great Forest Spirit is dead now."

"Never," Ashitaka told her softly. "He's life itself. He's not dead, San. He's here right now trying to tell us something; that it's time for both of us to live."

He glanced at his hand, the one that had once held the curse. Nago's demon mark was gone. Only as small, discolored scar remained. In fact, the cursed markings that had appeared on him from the Forest Spirit's blood had completely vanished, and from her as well. What more, they were even healed off all injuries, as were her brothers and Yakul.

Had this somehow all been a part of the Forest Spirit's plan? If so, how much of it? San didn't know, nor did she understand. But she took Ashitaka's words to heart. It was time for them to live. All of them.

Down below, she saw the surviving humans gathering together, including the Eboshi woman and her bodyguard. Killing them would be all too easy, but San had lost any desire to take more life, even that of Eboshi. There had been far too much killing already. There would be no more. They would find another way, a peaceful way. A way for the humans and those of the forest to compromise and live together in peace. And with Ashitaka's help, she actually felt that that was now a possibility.

He asked that she go with her to help the humans. The forest would grow back on its own, but the humans, having separated themselves from nature long ago, would not have that luxury. They would need to rebuild their homes on their own. San trusted that Ashitaka would make sure that they would not make the same mistakes they made last time, but she could not bring herself to associate with them, even if they did have peace. There was too much bad history.

She sat atop one of her brothers as she looked down at Ashitaka, regretfully turning down his invitation. She wanted to tell him how she felt though, to be honest with him, and herself, about her feelings.

"Ashitaka, you mean so much to me," she said softly, "but I can't forgive the humans for what they've done."

A look of understanding and acceptance was present on his face as she told him this, and he did not argue with her decision. "I understand. You'll live in the forest, and I'll go help them rebuild Irontown. I'll always be near. Yakul and I will come visit you whenever we can, all right?"

She smiled at that, giving him a small nod before she and here brothers headed off into the greenery that was slowly growing into a new forest. This was not goodbye. This was a new beginning. The war was over, and a new path was before them. With it, San now had a new hope for things she didn't think she could have before. She could have both, Ashitaka, and the forest. And a future. Life had begun anew, and there were endless possibilities that had not been an option before her.

As she rode off into the growing forest with her brothers, Ashitaka's crystal dagger hanging around her neck, she kept her hopes high at the prospect of the future they would all have together. It would be an easy path, but nothing in love ever was. They would find a way and make their own path. And they would do it together.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well, that brings this story to an end. What do you think? Did I do a good/accurate job of getting in San's head and portraying what she was thinking and feeling throughout the movie? You may have noticed it, but the scene I tend to focus on the most is the one just after Ashitaka leaves Irontown with the unconscious San. I think my thoughts on that scene are what inspired me the most to write this. At the very least, it was good writing practice for me. But let me know what you think. And keep a look out for my other stories in the future. Catch you next time.)


End file.
